The Super Falcons fiasco

That players of this country’s female national football team, the Super  Falcons had to embark on protest before they were paid their bonuses and allowances says much about sports  management in this country. The Super Falcons had beaten the host, Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon 1-0 to win the African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) in […]

That players of this country’s female national football team, the Super  Falcons had to embark on protest before they were paid their bonuses and allowances says much about sports  management in this country. The Super Falcons had beaten the host, Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon 1-0 to win the African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Yaoundé on December 3. It was the eighth time that they won this trophy.

However, when they returned home, there was no visible celebration and the Nigeria Football Federation [NFF] failed to pay them their entitlements, to the chagrin of Nigerians.

 

In contrast the Indomitable Lionesses that lost the final to the Super Falcons and finished second were hosted to a lavish reception by President Paul Biya while the conquerors got a shabby treatment at home. 

 

The frustrated Supper Falcons players therefore marched to the Presidential Villa, carrying placards to protest their neglect. The angry players said the treatment they got would not encourage up-coming players to win titles for the country. Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari, who received them, said President Muhammadu Buhari had directed Minister of Finance Mrs Kemi Adeosun and Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung to ensure the players were paid by the following day, Thursday.

It is unfortunate indeed that the authorities concerned allowed the matter to degenerate to that level. In the heat of the scandal, Minister of Youths and Sports Solomon Dalung compounded matters with a very memorable gaffe. He said arrangements were not made to pay the allowances because neither his ministry nor NFF expected the Super Falcons to make much progress in the competition, much less win the championship.

Even if that were so, the government should have put its acts together and recovered quickly. Where did it find the money last week to pay the players within 24 hours of a presidential order? The same order could have been given quietly when the glorious girls won the cup. That would have avoided the national and international scandal that ensued.  Eventually the Super Falcons were paid as the Accountant General’s Office released the payment mandate for N358m to the Central Bank of Nigeria to settle the allowances. The government also released another N113m to pay outstanding win bonuses for the Super Eagles’ victories against Zambia and Algeria in the qualifying series for the 2018 World Cup to be hosted by Russia.

The fact that it took a public protest and disgrace for the country before the allowances were paid has sent out a wrong signal that the only language government understands is protest or even strike.  Little wonder that many athletes try as much as possible to go abroad where they will be respected and gain recognition, only for our sports authorities to turn around and  invite them to come and play for the country. Up  and coming sportsmen and women would feel that it is not worth it to put in their best, only to be neglected by the very country that should be proud of them. This was not peculiar to the Super Falcons; only that it was their protest that brought our shoddy sports management to light.

Beyond making a belated response, the presidency should punish the sports managers responsible for this fiasco. Otherwise, they will think it is business as usual and continue to cause embarrassment to this country in the future.  Sports administration here has traditionally been a chaotic, leave everything to the last minute, blame gaming affair. It is time to bring this “culture” to an end by overhauling sports agencies and placing in them people that have sports development at heart.

If the Super Falcons’ public protest succeeds in engineering this overhaul and kicks our sports administrators into shape, then it would have been a scandal worth it.